During the state’s budget battles of the last year, I have fought to do what’s right for the people of New York despite intense opposition from special interests and state legislators who refuse to confront fiscal reality.

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been fighting for a deficit reduction program that would close our current $3.2 billion gap in our current fiscal year and reduce the nearly $7 billion next year. We have to make immediate, substantial cuts reducing our spending.

We cannot raise taxes — New Yorkers’ tax burden is already high enough. We should not borrow any more money — it will cost us more in the long run. And we simply cannot spend money that we don’t have. We need responsible solutions to cut the deficit and we need them now.

This is why on Tuesday, I delivered a clear message to the legislature: cut this deficit with me or give me the power to do it myself.